Like a Lion

Marching forwardforth, we have some cutting edge political news to head into your weekend.

First, as you read in the post below, Omaha Mayor Jim Suttle has been tweeting on his Twitter account lately, about various miscellaneous items.

Last week we could have sworn we saw the Mayor tweet, “Everyone should vote for the Omaha kid on American Idol” (paraphrasing). Maybe we imagined that one, because it disappeared, but we thought, “Really? The Mayor of Omaha is sitting on his couch right now tweeting after Ryan Seacrest sums up?” But we sort of let it fly.

Then, on Wednesday night, this one came up.

Ohmygoodness! This new Hoarders: Buried Alive. Episode…I just can’t even describe how crazy it is!

(Cue sound of needle scratching across a record.)

And we thought, now HERE is a Mayor freed from the political bonds of a recall! Letting his freak flag fly…about weird reality TV.

We checked a few times to make sure this wasn’t “@FakeJimSuttle” or somesuch. Nope. The real deal.

And it quickly disappeared a few minutes later.

Which is why we took a screenshot before that:

And after we retweeted the screenshot, this message came up from @JimSuttle:

So, to make a very long story short, KFAB’s Tom Becka talked to the Mayor’s flak, Aida Amoura, the next day, and she said there is a staffer — not her — that has the Mayor’s Twitter account, and she was logged in and yadda yadda.

Which is fine and all that. But let us please stop pretending then that the Mayor is sending out personal messages on his smartphone. They are mini-press releases fine.

And the Mayor is more of a “Clean House” guy, than “Hoarders” anyway.

***

While we have criticized Mayor Suttle (no!), we want to reiterate our kudos to him for pushing to sell fireworks in Omaha. Just a slightly less amount of nanny-stating.

Hope no one is hoarding them in their garage though…

***

Moving on to more important news, we were looking at the various campaign websites and a few things bugged us:

First, while we understand that it is brand spanking new, can we get a little more info from Don Stenberg? A bio? Some positions? Something? Nice page otherwise, but pretty Spartan.

And then there is the weird thing that website makers seem to do: Flipping images.

Ben Nelson is still trying to dig himself out of the Cornhusker Kickback. He was recently named the “2010 Porker of the Year” because of his actions on the Cornhusker Kickback. (Which, btw, came out on February 24th. Not a big secret if you mentioned it this week, for you conspiracy theorists out there…)

But he is still trying to sell his, “It was a placeholder for ALL the states!” Except that with the internets, we can all go back to the original stories right after the deals were cut and the announcements were made, and can see that until the sh*t hit the fan, there was no mention of any placeholder business.

But thank you Senator for re-reminding us of your horrible decisions.

***

We have lots of people who want to discuss the Congressional redistricting, and we would love to talk about it as well.

But the only info we have is what is in the MSM right now, so feel free to toss out your thoughts. We have a feeling it will all work out fine.

Sorry to jump, but a certain state “environmental” group (guess who), is claiming that Bruning is in collusion with CAGW b/c he emailed about the 2010 Porker before 3/1. In fact CAGW emailed a release before putting it on their website. That’s why many other sites — and Bruning — noted it before 3/1.

SS, out of curiosity, are you a Bruning backer or are you officially uncommitted? Right now, I like John. I think he’s a bright guy and I’m not sure I understand why people like Becka think his political ambition is a bad thing. I like John better than Don as a candidate and, frankly, I’d take him over Den Fischer. If Fortenberry ran, I’d vote for him but I just can’t see him leaving the security of a reliably safe seat. Do you expect that anyone else will throw their hat in the ring?

I just don’t believe anything Jim Suttle says. He’s told little fibs (like this, and he didn’t know the Fire union owns McFlys) and whoppers (like he didn’t know how bad Omaha’s budget situation was when he ran promising tax cuts).
The sooner Democrats find an alternative to Suttle as Mayor, the better. He’s digging himself into a hole, making it easier than it should be for a Republican to beat him in 2 yrs.

Hey Sweeper, How about a new weekly segment called: “Your Mayor might be a joke if…an anonymous staffer left his/her twitter feed open and a second anoymous person tweeted about Hoarders.” Another classisc example would be “Your Mayor might be a joke if..he posts a hostage video on youtube.”

I am quite sure that I will be viciously attaked by people with BOLDER opinions on the subject,

Before anyone files a freedom of informtion act request to get all of my personal information let me just say, I’m an idea man, a nose to the grindstone kind of commenter who just wants to help out the blogging community.

…while folks focus on bashing Democratic politicians up in Omaha, the raid on the state treasury in search of ever more corporate welfare goes unabated…

Methinks y’all need to focus on REAL political news a bit! For example, are you aware that joblessness is declining and stocks are going up? Not that we experienced much of a recession down here in the promised land, but improving economic conditions across the country might, gasp, result in an extension of Obama’s reign beyond 2012. You’ll still have your plutocracy in Nebraska and your corporate shills (both Democrat and Republican politicians) to run things for you. Right?
(It’s okay to admit your dependence on the approval of the wealthy. I just think you need a reality check.)

@TexasAnnie Now by joblessness declining do you mean less jobless claims coming in for the last quarter, but people who stop looking for work because they have been unemployed for over 18 months? As for your “stocks going up” claim, would that be the 88 point plunge yesterday based on oil skyrocketing? Obama is in over his head as evidenced by his muted response to the middle east unrest and total lack of coherence in his message to the world?

Greg: I have no information about people who have stopped looking for work and I concede your point about oil skyrocketing. As for Obama, I’m no apologist. What say you about the point I made: admit your dependence on the approval of the wealthy there?

Texas is a big state. I’m shocked you can’t find anything to occupy you there, and instead keep coming back to pester the inhabitants of a place you no longer infest, er I mean, inhabit, and of which you are ever more ignorant. I mean, retirement is good for the retiree, but there has to be something for everyone else, like, for example, seeing the last of the retiree.

For example, if you were living here, you would have learned that a dozen years in the Big 12 changed Nebraskans from being pretty apathetic to Texas, to despising anything with a Longhorn logo.

I strongly suggest you change your monicker, therefore, to East of the Pecos Annie, or maybe South of Oklahoma Annie. That way you might get taken for a Louisiana resident.

By the way, and speaking of being ruled by plutocrats, Texas is not like that, right?

There continues to be interesting news about this whole Wisconsin imbroglio. Rasmussen, the GOP’s favorite pollster, known for telling the party what it wants to hear, finds that 57% of Wisconsin voters now disapprove of Governor Scott Walker. That means that Walkers’s approval rating is down to 43%. Rasmussen is the gold standard for the GOP. If Rasmussen’s poll indicates Walker is unpopular, he is in real trouble.

To Reasonable Readers: Plutocracy is a heavy burden to bear. And I’m not just speaking about your tax burden. It’s the ethics of the situation which may, when not remediated, damn you to hell. Oh sure, our governor has his slush fund, and my friends and neighbors here don’t like it! But there is no comparison of his slush fund with the rampant, so-called “economic development” which has already ravaged your tax base there. And you’ve got MORE coming this year if Heineman gets his way. Why won’t any of you stand for the principle of “smaller government” you ascribe at this site when it really matters? Why won’t any of you decry the pillaging of your tax base, as you do against the unions, when it is carried out by your plutocrats? What do you fear?

I honestly cannot follow any of your arguments, all you seems to be implying is that the “wealthy” run Nebraska through a “plutocracy”, to be honest it seems like you have class envy and hate everyone who has money. The only city in Nebraska that is pillaging its tax base is Omaha which is run by the biggest tax and spend liberal in city and he is backed by a “plutocracy” (See: Mr. Holland). Gov. Heineman has repealed taxes since he has been in office and consistently said he will not sign any bill that raises taxes. Have fun down there in Texico, just remember stay away from the border.

Greg, you don’t need to feel sorry for TexasAnnie. She’s already ahead of most of us in the money game. She’s told us she’s retired and lives on 20 some acres in TX. Not bad for someone who hates wealth.

Silly Dem’s. and Union Leaders. Looks like they will lose even more seats in 2012. To start with Ben Nelson is OUT of there! Then a few more here and there and a semblance of reality will return. Of course the big win will be the removal of Obama, and his ilk, from the Capitol.

It has been said that March 15th is the deadline Sen Lathrop and the Labor and Labor committee have to deliver “Meaningful” CIR reform. Otherwise the body will just need to gut a bill and stuff it with the proper reform. Should make for an interesting time in Lincoln. I wonder if the Dem’s will leave the state? Oh wait with only 15 of them it doesn’t matter. The legislature would just move faster. As it is they will try a few parlimentary tricks, which won’t do much but slow down the inevitable.

So Buh Bye to Public Sector Collective Bargining, and the total dominance of the Teachers Union in Nebraska Politics. Next thing will be to stop auto DEMAND of dues. That will put a crimp in their shorts! Just gets better and better.

Just read the World Herald story about the budget. I think that Gloor’s tobacco tax increase bill is going to cause political problems for Senator Fischer as she leads the charge to keep the bill from getting out of committee and then filibustering on the floor. The voters understand that this budget session is all about sacrifice, setting priorities and making tough decisions. It appears that a handful of Senators in the Revenue Committee will be deciding that keeping the price of cigarettes low is a greater priority for the state than how the body may use the 100M plus to (fill in the blank…Medicaid provider rates, education, revenue inspectors, roads, economicdevelopment, public safety, property tax relief, etc). Take a look at the bills fiscal note. Throughout the session, Senator Fischer will have to defend that keeping the price of cigarettes low was vital to the function of the state and a high priority in the budget process. I think the recent poll that the Governor commissioned that was leaked around the Capitol said that about 60 percent of voters looked more favorable on a candidate that supported the cigarette tax increase.

My arguments were not ‘implied,’ Greg. They were stated outright! If you would check with your Dept. of Revenue up there, you would understand that your corporate welfare has raided your tax base to such extent that it will take decades before you can break even with incoming revenue resulting from “economic development” schemes. At the time I left Nebraska, you were 30 years in the hole; I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s now about 50. Yet the corporate welfare goes unabated while folks like Anonymous at 8:03 above cheer the demise of the CIR. The unions are not as big a drain on your tax base as is your plutocracy.

Anonymous at 4:48: It’s because I left Nebraska (and brought my retirement income with me) that I live very well in Texas. If I had stayed after retirement, I would be spending about half my retirement income on taxes up there in support of: corporate welfare!

Ken: raising the cigarette tax won’t help. No matter how much revenue is raised from the sheeple, the corps will skim it off the top with the blessing of both your Dems and Repubs. Y’all really need to change your direction and field candidates who still believe in REAL, constitutional American values such as smaller government and vanishing welfare (that’s both personal and especially CORPORATE welfare, Greg).

Gloor’s bill will go down in flames, or up in smoke:) If he were asking for a modest 50% increase it might survive, but as it is he got greedy. So the bill will die a horrible gasping death………

Teachers union will get their blinkety blink in a wringer this year. But as usual the ones hurt will be the actual TEACHERS and students. The precious “Administrators” will just keep raking in the bucks.

Ken:
What you don’t understand about the tobacco tax is that when Nebraska raised the tobacco tax the last time, Nebraska saw a 28% loss of sales in eastern Nebraska. And Iowa saw a corresponding increase. It doesn’t cut down on the usage. And when Iowa raised the tobacco tax, that money came right back to Nebraska. You raise the price, usage may reduce, or sales go elsewhere, but the revenue drops dramatically for Nebraska. It’s not true that Nebraska will raise that kind of money by drastically increasing the taxes. It’s market-driven. Supply and demand and price-point sensitive. Senator Fischer may be one of a handful of senators who realize that this is solely punitive and not a serious way to raise revenue.

I suggest you look at the facts in the fiscal note on Gloor’s bill. It appears that there is some disagreeement between our fiscal office and the tobacco industry lobby that says that there will be a flood of sales to other states (or that Tony Soprano is going to take over cigarette sales in the state). Frankly, I tend to believe the fiscal office estimate that takes into account all the relative factors and facts including all the people who will quit and says that the state still stands to bring in 100M plus. So now it comes down to whether or not keeping the price of cigarettes low is a state budget priority. Looking at the December poll it appears that the voters would much rather see a $1.35 cig iincrease than any other way of dealing with the defecit. I guess the will of the people is going to be ignored in this case. Sort of reminds me of a recent situation with a certain E. Benjamin. Just needs a catchy name – might I suggest “Camel Kickback”. Only in this case the primary benefactor is going to be the North Carolina tobacco economy.

On the subject of Deb Fischer, I’m starting to have serious doubts about her. I hate to offend all the smokers out there, but if your habit gets too expensive, you could always quit…that is an option. I also have a hard time believing that smokers are going to run for the border. Let’s do the math here…

Iowa’s cigarette tax per pack of 20 is $1.36.
The current NE proposal is a tax of $1.99 per pack of 20.
The difference between the two is $0.63.
Gas is currently about $3.50 per gallon.
Let’s say your car gets 25 miles a gallon…in order to save the $0.63 in taxes, the round-trip distance to break even is 4.5 miles.
What this means is that you pretty much have to live no further than on-road 2.25 miles from an Iowa-based tobacco retail outlet to actually save any money…assuming that outlet’s prices are the same as outlet nearest to your home/work.

Now of course, if you smokers are willing to drive 30 miles and throw away money based on the principal of the matter, then hey, have at it.

In addition, what’s with this bill of Fisher’s that basically guts the Nebraska Environmental Trust Fund? The NETF was established by the voters, and it seems to me that that it should be up to the voters to decide on changes to it. I believe it should be left as it stands.

There ‘ya go, Pauli. This is exactly what I detest: corporate welfare goes unabated. Not even a whimper about it’s cost to the people of Nebraska. And when corporate welfare empties your coffers up there, you want to strike out at the smokers. What about LB 389? That’s proposing a TAX REFUND even if no taxes are owed to potential new plutocrats, unlike the myriad other “economic development” schemes operative for rebating taxes to just about every other corporation doing business in Nebraska. Can’t get any closer to a definition of “welfare” than that! Doesn’t anybody who reads this blog believe in fair/equitable taxation? Do any of you understand that so-called “angel” investors will first get to pick winners and losers (what if they pick a winner you don’t want to support with your taxes), and back their selected winner only to it’s extent of winning (if the winner loses, the angel gets a tax refund nonetheless)? Why is corporate welfare so acceptable to Nebraskans? It’s bribery ‘ya know. Do you r-e-a-l-l-y believe I’m just “jealous” of your plutocrats as Greg accuses, or that I’m just pestering you as RWP accuses? I’m trying to help. You appear so damn determined to stay uninformed…..